The Volkswagen Jetta, or the VW Jetta is a car that is made by the Volkswagen Company and is basically a sedan variation of the Volkswagen Golf. The name ‘VW Jetta was used only in South Africa and North America until 2005. Volkswagen used the names ‘Vento and then ‘Bora in Europe. The VW Jetta was made because the marketing people at Volkswagen were astute enough to realize that the people in the United States preferred to drive sedan model cars as opposed to hatchback models like VWs Golf car. South Africa shows similar preferences and so marketing for both America and South Africa remains almost identical. Volkswagens marketing team proved that they made advantageous observations as the Jetta eventually became the best selling European car in the United States. The Jetta first made its debut in North America in 1980. It was available as either a two-door coupe or a four-door sedan. This model had a different version called the Volkswagen Fox that was sold only in South Africa.
The 2.2-litre can return up to 43.5mpg on the combined cycle, giving CO2 emissions of 171g/km, but that’s still not quite up to what the best rivals can muster. Ford builds single cab, Super Cab and Double Cab versions of the Ranger, with the most popular Double Cab bodystyle offering four doors and five seats to the Super Cab’s suicide back doors and occasional rear seating. You can seat five at a squeeze too, with the Double Cab having just enough legroom for a 6ft adult to sit behind a 6ft driver. Headroom is OK in the back, so longer journeys with four on board are not out of the question. The Ranger is also extremely capable in heavy-duty use on the road with the Double Cab offering a 1,199kg payload and a class-leading 3,500kg maximum towing weight. Ford’s added a load of advanced safety equipment too, including a stability control system with trailer sway control to keep everything in check.
The Navara is one of the best double-cab 4x4 pick-ups on the market. It’s not the cheapest, but the low-ratio gearbox helps provide a superb off-road experience and the steering is responsive, making cornering composed and the truck easy to control at speed. The interior of the Nissan Navara has a lot in common with those of the latest Nissan passenger cars so materials quality and the level of equipment provided are first class. The wheel adjusts for rake only, but the powered leather driver’s seat - if a little short in the squab - provides a good range of movement. There’s a great view out over the imposing bonnet, and Tekna models are comfortable for long hours in the saddle. There’s room in the back for full-size grown-ups too, with a comfortable rake for the rear bench - also leather trimmed in this range-topping model - plus electric windows and ISOFIX child seat mounts.
Nissan reckons the Navara pushes the boundaries closer to a ‘crossover’ SUV driving experience than anything else in its sector. But while the advanced multi-link rear suspension does smooth the ride somewhat, it's not quite the revolution that Nissan hopes it to be. There's less rear end ‘bounce’, familiar to anyone who’s driven such vehicles, although the Mercedes X-Class does an even better job in this regard. Either way, it doesn't affect the way the Navara performs when you head off-road. If you want to know how important the double-cab pick-up class is globally, then look no further than the arrival of Mercedes in the sector with the X-Class. This is arguably the world's first premium pick-up, with a price to match and plenty of switchgear inside inspired by the Mercedes car range. Look past the three-pointed star on the grille, and what you see here is a badge-engineered variant of the Nissan Navara. Power comes from the same 2.3-litre diesel as the Navara, but in two power outputs badged the X 220 d and X 250 d, which come with manual or auto gearboxes respectively.
